Prosecutors: House candidate lied about $700K campaign gift

Jul. 24, 2018

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia lied about donating more than $700,000 to her campaign.

The Virginian-Pilot reports Shaun Brown is set to stand trial this week in U.S. District Court on charges she stole at least $439,000 from a program established to feed needy children. Prosecutors told her last week that they plan to tell the jury about other matters, including issues with her current campaign's finance reports.

Brown is a former Democratic candidate for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District who's now running as an independent. Prosecutors say she lied on Federal Election Commission forms about donating $700,000 and getting reimbursed for it.

Brown's attorney, James Ellenson, says the question of political donations has "nothing to do with" the food service program case.